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Monday, October 31, 2016

2016 has been the seaosn of utter chaos at the running back position in fantasy football, what with injuries and demotions making this a constant a headache for the community. Things have not let up a bit there as we now have two new muddled backfield situations and in the same division no less. We are talking about Tampa Bay and New Orleans which all of a sudden have new committees on hand after injuries and benchings respectively changed the outlook of things. In New Oreleans it was an early lost fumble an -9 rushing yards from Mark Ingram that got him sent to the bench for veteran Tim Hightower and in Tampa Bay, it was an injury to Jacquizz Rodgers who was the replacement for the injuried Charles Sims who was the replacement for the injured Doug Martin.

As far as New Orleans is concerned, Ingram has been a total disaster on all fronts. Coming off a career-year in 2015 where he ran very well and learned how to catch the football consistently, Ingram became very coveted in 2016 drafts. Well Ingram has been awful running the football and been completely absent in the passing game as well. Throw in John Kuhn taking goal-line work and now the benching and Ingram is as big a fantasy football bust as we have had this season. With Hightower now likely splitting work with Ingram, neither man is starting material.

In Tampa Bay, Rodgers is out for Thursday Night Football versus the Atlanta Falcons and that means a committee will be in use among Antone Smith and Peyton Barber. Smith got 22 carries to Smith's 3 in replacing Rogers last week but both guys will get work. Another situation to avoid. Combined together and it will be another rough week trying to piece a running attack together in the fantasy community.

Guys our Fantasy Sports Boss 2017 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide: Early Offseason Edition was such an initial hit that they sold out on Amazon for the rest of today. They will have a full allotment of copies for tomorrow but we at the office have a whole box ready to ship to you. Also remember you get the Post-Free Agency File version FREE with your purchase of the Early Offseason Paperback edition. Use the BUY NOW tab to get yours.

Brian McCann: By the time you read this, Brian McCann may be
on a new team. After the massive emergence of Gary Sanchez midway through
the 2016 season pretty much placed McCann into backup catching duty (with some
DH starts thrown in), the New York Yankees were expected to offer him around in
trade talks over the winter. As far as McCann's performance last season
was concerned, he was able to stretch to 9 straight his streak of reaching the
20-home run mark as he hit that number right on the nose. While 20 home
runs is never anything to sneeze at when found at the catcher position, the
rest of McCann's numbers were shaky as he saw 43 fewer at-bats compared to 2015
due to the presence of Sanchez and thus, saw both his runs (56) and especially
his RBI totals (58) slide. Forget the .242 average as McCann has been a
big liability there for the last five years (just once hitting over .250 in
that span) and as he turns 33 in February, that number figures to go even
lower. When you cut to the chase here, McCann's 2017 value depends almost
completely on getting dealt to another team who will use him as a starter
again. If McCann does find a new home, add 10-15 RBI and 3-5 home runs to
his 2016 ledger as you draft him as a top ten catcher. Failure to get
moved would result in McCann having nothing but backup status at best.2017
PROJECTION (banking on a trade): .245 22 HR 68 RBI 62 R 2 SB

-London was very kind to Washington Redskins QB Kirk Cousins who went to town in the passing game against the Cincinnati Bengals defense by completing 38-of-56 throws for 458 yards with 2 TD's and 1 INT. Cousins has been pretty good this season without lighting it up from a fantasy ankle but in two QB formats he is an every week guy.

-Fantasy football owners of Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert have been waiting for this. Having to be without their star tight end for 6 weeks and then on a snap count in Week 7, Eifert finally reminded us why he has been worth the wait as he caught 9 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown in London. Eifert is just like Rob Gronkowski in terms of being an every week TD threat and his catches per game figure to go up compared to last year given the lack of a supporting cast in the Bengals offense so far.

-Andy Dalton is the classic hot and cold fantasy football QB and sometimes that is in one game. That is what developed for Dalton Sunday morning as he completed 27-of-42 throws for 284 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. Dalton also scored for a score but lost a late fumble. While he has been solid this season, Dalton is light on touchdowns which is obviously the biggest factor in our game.

-A.J. Green dominated the overrated Josh Norman on Sunday as he caught 9 balls for 121 yards in the tie game. Green remains a very high-target wideout on the Bengals and his status as a top five guy at the position is more than secure.

-While not known for his running, it was a big overall day for Detroit Lions running back Theo Riddick who picked up 56 yards on 11 carries while also catching 8 balls for 77 more yards and 1 score. Those in PPR are likely the only owners who played Riddick today and with Dwayne Washington being a health scratch, it looks like he has cemented himself as the clear starter where he will carry RB 2 value.

-Now with Geno Smith out for the season, Ryan Fitzpatrick has a chance to salvage his season. Well he went to 2-0 since going back under center last week, this time completing 16-of-34 throws for 228 yards and a score, while also picking up 13 rushing yards. The big thing coming out of the game is that Fitzpatrick did not turn it over. While things are looking up in his performance, Fitzpatrick only has value in two QB formats but barely.

-While he has never had an extended run of fantasy football prominence, Carolina Panthers veteran running back Jonathan Stewart had a nice game Sunday in rushing for 95 yards and 2 scores on 25 carries in the team's win over the Arizona Cardinals. Never a PPR weapon, Stewart stayed true to that assessment in catching just one pass for 25 yards. Just a RB 3 or 4, Stewart should just be used as a bye-week replacement.

-It was not a great return to action for Cleveland Browns QB Josh McCown as a good start fizzled into second-half chaos as he completed 25-of-49 throws for 341 yards with 2 TD and 2 INT's in the team's loss to the New York Jets. The Browns are still looking for their first team win on the year but McCown is set to be the started for the time being. He has little-to-no fantasy football value.

-Things are just not going right for Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson in 2016 as he posted a third straight dud Sunday in a loss to the New Orleans Saints by completing just 22-of-34 passes for 253 yards and zero scores. Wilson has not thrown a TD pass in those three games and he is making good on what I said over the summer in terms of him taking a sizable step back from his fluky 2015 production. Flat out, Wilson is not the big-numbers QB he showed a year ago when the Seahawks were forced to throw without a running game and we are really seeing this unfold.

-At times it was ugly but Arizona Cardinals QB Carson Palmer rallied in the second half to salvage his fantasy football day Sunday by completing 35-of-46 throws for 363 yards with 3 TD and 1 INT with a lost fumble. It has been a rough go of it for long stretches of the season for Palmer but hopefully this gets him back on the right track. His fantasy football owners no doubt are nervous with him on a weekly basis.

-It was a garbage-time emergence for Arizona Cardinals wideout J.J. Nelson who caught 8 balls for 79 yards and two scores while the team played catch-up in the second half. Nelson is FOURTH on the Arizona wideout depth chart so this is only a one week anomoly.

-Another week and another monster game for New England Pats tight end Rob Gronkowski who caught 5 passes for 109 yards and a score. Again like we say every week, the return of Tom Brady has fully unleashed the first round Gronk and it will continue the rest of the season as long as the latter stays healthy.

-As if his full breakout season was not already impressive enough, Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr went nuts Sunday by completing 40-of-59 throws for 513 yards and 4 touchdowns in the team's win over the Tampa Bay Buc's. A college game broke out between the two and Carr just added to his already monster fantasy football performance this season. Right now we are talking top five QB overall with Carr.

-Speaking of Tom Brady, it was a ho-hum excellent day again for the Pats QB as he completed 22-of-33 passes for 315 yards with 4 touchdowns. Brady has now thrown 12 touchdowns and no picks in his four games since returning from suspension and there is no debating the fact he is the best QB not only in the league now but EVER.

-Larry Fitzgerald has been the only Arizona wideout who has shown any consistency this season and he did it again Sunday by catching 10 balls for 74 yards. At the age of 33, Fitzgerald remains a WR 2 in all formats and a good one at that.

-While Michael Crabtree was doing most of the TD catching the first five weeks of the season, Amari Cooper is now coming on fully as he the Raiders wideout caught 12 balls for a ridiculous 173 yards and a score Sunday Cooper is staking his claim as a top ten fantasy football wideout and his full emergence now is obvious.

-Even though Alex Smith went out with an early concussion, Nick Foles knew where to find Travis Kelce as the tight end caught 7 balls for 101 yards and a touchdown Sunday. While Kelce is not as flashy as Jordan Reed or Rob Gronkowski, his status as a top five fantasy tight end has been more thna cemented.

-It was an all right return to action for Cardinals wideout John Brown who caught 4 passes for 49 yards and a touchdown Sunday. Brown has been a guy who has let his owners down all years; at least those who still own him. That is a number that is dwindling.

-What a rare tough day for Cardinals running back David Johnson who rushed for just 24 yards on 10 carries but who did help in the receiving game by hauling in 7 balls for 84 more yards. Nothing to see here as Johnson is right there as the number 1 back in all of fantasy football and that sttaus won't change off this outing.

Just hours after the Green Bay Packers announced that WR Randall Cobb would miss Sunday's game versus the Atlanta Falcons, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reports that Ty Montgomery will sit as well with an illness believed to the flu. That means Knile Davis will likely start at running back and Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson will get a huge amount of work in the passing game.

Kansas City Chiefs QB Alex Smith only lasted a hanfdul of plays
Sunday versus the Indianapolis Colts before exiting with a possible
concussion.

Analysis: Well that stinks for all K.C.
fans at least. Not a big deal in fantasy football as Smith has made a
career of barely even being a backup in our fake game but a blow to the
skill players nonetheless.

Arizona Cardinal wideouts John Brown and Michael Floyd are BOTH active and will start for the team Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

Analysis: Both guys have been huge disappointments this season, as have the Arizona passing game as a whole. Neither guy should be in your starting lineup for Week 8 despite the fact they are playing as the entire unit has been out of sync for weeks.

Houston Texans running back Lamar Miller is officially active and will start Sunday despite being very limited over the last week with an injured shoulder.

Analysis: We talked extensively about this earlier in the day in terms of Miller being a big risk as any one hit could send him to the sidelines for good. Alfred Blue will get a decent amount of work spelling Miller but again we reiterate that if you have a good bench back, it would not be a bad idea to go that route.

Dallas Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant will make his much-anticipated return to action in the team's blockbuster Sunday Night Football contest against the Philadelphia Eagles. Bryant has missed three games plus the bye week from a fractured kneecap but he and the team pronounced him 100 percent for Week 8.

Analysis: Great news for all Bryant owners who finally can see what he can do with QB Dak Prescott. It has become very frustrating to own Bryant over the years given the fact he is becoming a prime injury risk but his upside remains that of a top five receiver.

Houston Texans running back Lamar Miller is expected to start Sunday for the team but there is a big risk in that he won't be able to finish given the high amount of pain he is in regarding his injured shoulder. One big hit to the joint could finish Miller early against the Detroit Lions but it looks like the Texans will ride him out and take what they can get until the wheels come off. That means all those Miller owners out there are taking quite a big risk in starting him and ideally if you have a good backup, this could be the week to try him out. It is always tough to sit your best players in any given week but Miller looks like a key candidate for that assessment in Week 8.

In the most obvious news of the week, the Buffalo Bills will sit out starting running back LeSean McCoy with the hamstring injury he hurt in practice two weeks ago and then reaggravated in one of the dumbest personnel moves of the year in Week 7. With McCoy clearly less than 100 percent, Rex Ryan and company still suited him up against Miami and then deserved all the criticism that came when their star went out hurt again. McCoy of course is having a big season as he is right up there in rushing yards and touchdowns this season and such a foolish move set both he and the team back. In fact outside of Ezekiel Elliott and David Johnson, McCoy can be argued the third-most productive running back in fantasy football this season. Be that as it may, it is now the Mike Gillislee show Sunday versus a ticked off New England Patriots team that will look to run up the score in avenging their loss to the Bills earlier this season. That means the Bills will have to throw it more than ususl and thus eat into Gillislee's numbers. If you have better depth, ride with someone else.

New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett will START Sunday despite continued problems with a sprained ankle. Bennett has not been a huge factor in the passing game outside of his one three-TD game and he could be on a snap count as well.

Analysis: Bench Bennett if you have another good receiving tight end on your roster as he has not been good lately and clearly is less than 100 percent. The return to health of Rob Gronkowski has also ate into a decent amount of targets for Bennett as well which again reiterates you wanting to look for another option.

Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed is ACTIVE and will START Sunday versus the Cincinnati Bengals in London. Reed has missed the last two games with a concussion but he has practiced all week leading up to the game.

Analysis: Obviously you put Reed right back into your lineups but every hit on the hit is a hold your breath moment given his fragility. What a talent but owning Reed is really a test of your patience. The Bengals do defend tight ends well though so a huge return may not be in the cards.

In some very late and surprising injury news, Green Bay Packers receiver Randall Cobb has been ruled OUT for Sunday's anticipated shootout versus the Atlanta Falcons; a big late hit to his owners since the news just came down this morning. The loss of Cobb in a game where passes will be thrown at a very high rate is a tremendous blow in fact for his owners and so the fallout here centers on recent revelation Ty Montgomery continuing the blockbuster production he has put up the last two weeks (double-digit catches in both), not to mention Davante Adams as well who went nuclear against the Chicago Bears last Thursday. Meanwhile this will be a crucial outing for Jordy Nelson to show he is not still being negatively impacted from the torn ACL he suffered a year ago. With just one catch last week despite Aaron Rodgers winging it over 50 times, the alarms bells are sounding here.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Yes already. Once the 2016 season went in the books, we began working around the clock on the first of our two annual Fantasy Baseball Draft Guides. Our Early Offseason Edition went through World Series Game 1 in terms of updates and is our initial look at the 2017 season. With not many high-impact free agents on the market, the analysis and projections are pretty much set. Our second Post-Free Agency Edition is out sometime in January which reflects trades and signings. Be sure to purchase your copy of our Early Offseason Edition HERE using the BUY NOW tab below. (it is two dollars cheaper on the site then on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Sports-Baseball-Draft-Guide/dp/1539442829/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478437094&sr=8-1&keywords=2017+fantasy+baseball

USE the BUY NOW tab below to purchase your Early Offseason Edition and if you buy it THROUGH our site, you get the Post-Free Agency Edition E-Book version (delivered via file through e-mail to you) in January. PURCHASE NOW!

Yes already. Once the 2016 season went in the books, we began working around the clock on the first of our two annual Fantasy Baseball Draft Guides. Our Early Offseason Edition went through World Series Game 1 in terms of updates and is our initial look at the 2017 season. With not many high-impact free agents on the market, the analysis and projections are pretty much set. Our second Post-Free Agency Edition is out sometime in January which reflects trades and signings. Be sure to purchase your copy of our Early Offseason Edition HERE using the BUY NOW tab below. (it is two dollars cheaper on the site then on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Sports-Baseball-Draft-Guide/dp/1539442829/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1477772917&sr=8-2&keywords=2017+fantasy+baseball

USE the BUY NOW tab below to purchase your Early Offseason Edition and if you buy it THROUGH our site, you get the Post-Free Agency Edition E-Book version (delivered via file through e-mail to you) in January. PURCHASE NOW!

New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett continues to tough it out with his nagging ankle injury but he is expected to only see partial snaps in the team's game versus the Buffalo Bills. That means all Bennett owners should try and see what else is out there in terms of giving yourself a better chance to end up with good receiving production. Outside of his three-TD game when Tom Brady first returned, Bennett has been disappointing this season from a fantasy perspective. Also with Rob Gronkowski now back to being 100 percent, Bennett is looking like a bench guy at best.

The Minnesota Vikings didn't even wait until Sunday to make it official that starting running back Jerrick McKinnon would be OUT with an ankle injury. In his place will be Matt Asiata who is slated for a big workload against the awful Chicago Bears defense and thus he looks like a potentially big pickup for those who are dealing with chaos at the position. This is a class that includes a whole bunch of us as there has been insane running back injury/turnover news over the last two weeks which makes panning for depth paramount. While Asiata is a mediocre runner, he has shown he can convert around the goal-line and he also can catch the football. That means Asiata is a good pickup in all formats.

Friday, October 28, 2016

While it was widely assumed all along that Yoenis Cespedes would opt out of his contract for this winter's free agency, the New York Mets will now get a lot more competition for his services as both the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants appear to be the biggest competition for the Cuban slugger. Last winter Cespedes got very little play in free agency which enabled the Mets to scoop him back up late but he is right there at the top of the outfield marker this time around with only an aging Jose Bautista.

Analysis: It will be interesting to see how the Mets play this but the always conservative franchise may not be able to get Cespedes back on their terms. The money could get stupid here in the four-year for $120 million range so either way Cespedes will get his dough.

With Matt Jones having been ruled out of the Washington Redskins' game Sunday in London against the Cincinnati Bengals, the team is expected to split duties between backups Rob Kelley and Chris Thompson. The plan is for Kelley to play on first and second down in handling the running, while Thompson will be the third down guy and also could split out wide in four receiver sets. Meanwhile these could be precarious times for Jones in that he continues to get himself in trouble with fumbles and he has opened the door to Kelley or Thomson to steal the starting gig. Both Kelley and Thompson looks like low-end RB 2's for Sunday in standard and PPR formats respectively.

Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed has been listed as "questionable" for Week 8 but he is fully expected to return to action in the team's London game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Analysis: Reed was trending in the right direction all week so this is great news. Vernon Davis can now be cut in all formats and we all know by now that Reed is a top five tight end play when he is on the field. But boy all these missed games are annoying.

Over the last month in fantasy football, you can make the argument that Tennessee Titans QB Marcus Mariota has been the most productive passer in the league. After another gem Thursday night when he completed 18-of-22 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns, Mariota has been right there as a top ten fantasy football QB 1 in all formats based on the glowing numbers. When you back over the last four games, try and find anyone else as consistent excellent as Mariota has been where he has a total of 10 passing and 1 rushing TD in that span. With just 1 interception in those four games, Mariota is also playing mistake-free ball. In just his second year in the league, Mariota has leaped far ahead of Jameis Winston in comparing the top two players picked in the 2015 Draft and for now has firmly established himself as a franchise QB for the Titans.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Mariota's season is the fact he is putting up such glowing numbers despite the fact he has little offensive talent surrounding him in the passing game. While tight end Delanie Walker is a top pass-receiver at his position, the wide receiver corps is way below-average as Kendall Wright and Risard Matthews scare no one. Mariota is making hay both in the passing game and running game (221 rushing yards at 6.9 per carry) which again has solidified himself as a top fantasy football QB. Given how well he has played lately, Mariota is a must-start in all formats as he is simply too hot to sit. The future looks bright here and so those who snagged Mariota cheap at the draft are looking like they got a huge payoff so far.

By now it is very apparent that the Buffalo Bills royally screwed up the hamstring injury that star running back LeSean McCoy suffered in practice last week. After stupidly letting McCoy play, it was not a shock to see him exit early with renewed soreness in the hamstring. So far this week McCoy has yet to practice and it now looks like he will be out for Week 8 as a result. From the beginning, the Bill should have sat McCoy last week as they were clearly playing with fire with his hamstring and the setback showed how poor of a decision it was to let him suit up. As a result, Mike Gillislee will draw the start in place of McCoy but his value only goes to the low-end RB 2 scale. Any missed game by McCoy is a big one considering how well he has played but let's hope some rest keeps his absence just to Week 8.

Multiple reports are surfacing that Denver Broncos running back CJ Anderson is done for the year with some sort of knee injury. Anderson didn't suffer an ACL tear according to Adam Schefter but the player himself reportedly is telling teammates he is finished. Devontae Booker will now move into the starting role.

Analysis: My goodness this is big as Booker all of a sudden is a sudden RB 2 at the worst. He has explosive ability and can also catch the football so I hope you picked him up when I said it two weeks ago.

Another week and more running back madness as injuries continue to dominate the position. This time we look toward the Washington Redskins where starter by name only Matt Jones could miss Week 8 with a knee injury suffered in last Sunday's game. With Jones hobbled and also somewhat in the team's doghouse due to fumble problems that go back to 2015, Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said that Rob Kelley and NOT Chris Thompson would start in Jones' if the situation presents itself. Thompson of course was a sought after pickup off waivers this week given his very good outing in Week 7 when he contributed both on the ground and in the passing game but Gruden said he prefers him in a third down role. So those who wound up with Thompson off waivers can dim their excitement a bit. Meanwhile Kelley has run well going back to the preseason so for those of you in standard formats, he is worth a look. Either way, Jones seems like he is not long for the starting job given the fumbles and shaky running.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Hope you picked up Devontae Booker two weeks ago when we told you to firs do so. The reason that is now such an important issue centers on reports coming out of Denver on Wednesday that starting running back C.J. Anderson could be facing a multiple-week absence due to the knee he injured in last Monday night's game versus the Houston Texans. Initial reports after the game stated that Anderson suffered nothing significant with the knee but subsequent pain on Tuesday and Wednesday led to more extensive testing. Depending on the results of the testing, we could be looking at Booker in a whole new and exciting light since he would then become the bellcow back for the Broncos. Booker has terrific burst and big-play ability Anderson does not and he also can catch the football for those who take part in PPR leagues. Either way this is a must watch situation with the immediate values of Anderson and Booker being possibly impacted in a big manner.

Well nobody saw that coming. Those five words perfectly sum up the recent two-game explosion of rushing yards put forth by Miami Dolphins emerging running back Jay Ajayi, where he has put himself into the history books by going for over 200 yards on the ground in both contests. After going AWOL prior to the year and almost released outright due to the behavior aftre losing a training camp battle versus Arian Foster, Ajayi is the perfect example of how opportunity can change everything overnight. After Foster typically got hurt and the Dolphins went through a few other ineffective options before Ajayi got another look, the team's backfield was the biggest mess in the game. Two games of rushing yards of 204 and 214 was a beyond spectacular performance from Ajayi and obviously he has firmly cemented himself not only as the team's starter but as a very rare bellcow back for the Dolphins. Averaging 6.4 per carry now, Ajayi is a top RB 2 in all formats and in standard leagues, could push up against RB 1 value if this keeps up. The only remaining knock on Ajayi is that he remains a complete non-factor in the passing game with just two total catches in those two blockbuster games showing this. In PPR formats that keeps him as a RB 2 but overall this is a story that is really making a big mid-season difference in the fantasy football community.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbsons reiterated Tuesday that Roberto Osuna would remain the closer for 2017 and not be converted into a starter. Osuna has developed into one of the best closers in the game as he pitched to a splendid 2.68 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 82 strikeouts in 74 innings. While the Jays had at one time anticipated making Osuna a starter given his strikeout stuff, the fact he will remain in the ninth inning means he is set to be a top ten fantasy baseball closer again for 2017.

Yes Bryce Harper didn’t put video-game numbers last season
as we all expected him to do.Yes the batting
average plummeted horribly to an ugly .243.Yes Harper went from 42 home runs in 2015 to only 24 last season.I guess he stinks huh?In a performance that should change nothing
about Harper’s status as a top tier player in fantasy baseball regardless of
position, Bryce Harper no doubt had an “off year” by his insane standards.Going into 2016, nobody should have expected
Harper to repeat his 42 homers, 118 runs, 99 RBI, and .330 average.Those type of numbers come along once in a
blue moon and even Harper can’t be expected to maintain them.Also keep in mind that Harper goes into the
2017 season STILL just 24-years-old and with a few years of ceiling left to his
name.Harper will be just fine folks so
don’t for a second downgrade him past th early second round at worst.Now in terms of what happened a year ago,
Harper was actually just fine with his advanced numbers as he actually IMPROVED
on both his K/9 and BB/9 rates.So why
the average drop? Try a very unlucky
.264 BABIP which haunted Harper all season.Consider that in 2015, Harper’s BABIP was a sky-high .369.That is more than a 100-point drop on that
front and so it is no shock Harper’s average dipped.Also don’t discount the fact that Daniel
Murphy hitting in front of Harper got a whole bunch of fastballs that his
teammate did not.With Murphy having an
MVP-season himself in 2016, expect the fastballs to be more even from opposing
pitchers in 2017.Finally don’t overlook
the fact that Harper ran like never before in setting a career-best in steals
with 21.If Harper continues to run like
that when his offensive numbers shoot back up this season, we are talking about
top-five production.If you choose to
stupidly knock Harper for his 2016 performance, we will laugh all the way to
the fantasy baseball bank in snatching him up.

Fantasy football Week 7 is already in the books as the Broncos and Texans battled it out Monday night. Let's get to the fantasy football results were discussing.

-We have been talking about it for weeks but it firmly looks now that the Denver Broncos have a strict two-man committee at running back with C.J. Anderson and Devontae Booker. Anderson had a resurgence himself after weeks of mediocre reuslts that allowed Booker to grab hold of half the carries, rushing for 107 yards and a score on 16 carries. While it was a very good outing for Anderson, Booker got one more carry in rushing for 83 yards and a score of his own on 17 totes. There is no denying the commitee now and Anderson's owners get hurt the most out of this.

-Coming off his best outing of what has been a midly disappointing season consdering the expectations and draft slot, Houston Texans running back Lamar Miller posted a dud Monday night in rushing for 61 yards on 11 carries. Miller suffered an early shoulder injury that hampered him the rest of the game and allowed Alfred Blue to come off the bench and get half the carries overall in the running attack. Miller also added 3 catches for just 6 yards so if you needed a late push from the veteran to win your matchup, you likely came up short.

-Just when you thought thigns couldn't get any worse for awful Houston Texans QB Brock Osweiler, he went out and completed 24-of-41 passes for just 131 yards with no TD and no INT. Yes Osweiler posted a nice comeback victory for the Texans the previous week but overall you can't find many other passers who have performed worse. And for all that money.

-Once again serving at the mercy of his QB, Houston Texans wideout DeAndre Hopkins caught just 5 passes for 36 yards Monday night. There is simply nothing good happening here as Hopkins is being dragged down in ugly fashion by his QB. Those who drafted Hopking expecting WR 1 numbers instead are getting WR 3.

Monday, October 24, 2016

While the matchup is a tough one versus the potent Green Bay Packers run defense, Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman is looking like quite the workhorse play for Week 8. Freeman is expected to get between 25-30 carries in the game as fellow back Tevin Coleman has already been pretty much ruled out with a hamstring injury. Freeman has been very productive since Week 3 and has made us and many other publications look foolish for calling him a potential 2016 bust. Coleman meanwhile has been very good himself but has started taking a bit of a backseat to Freeman over the last month. Either way Coleman is not going to be a factor this week but you should still keep him stashed until he gets healthy.

After betting on himself and losing in a very ugly manner in
2015 as free agency beckoned, Ian Desmond was forced to settle for a one-year
deal with the Texas Rangers for 2016 which entailed him moving from shortstop
to the outfield.With all that potential
negativity swirling around the guy, Desmond responded by revisiting his 20/20
past going back to his earlier Washington Nationals days by hitting 22 home
runs and stealing 21 bases for the Rangers.In addition, Desmond reserved some very ugly trends with his hitting
approach, slashing his K/9 rate from 2015’s nasty 29.2 mark, all the way down
to a respectable 23.6 last season.That
development allowed Desmond to bat .285; an average that was his highest since
2012.Throw in 107 runs scored and 86
RBI and Desmond was back to being a five-stool stud in fantasy baseball while
carrying eligibility at shortstop and in the outfield.Of course the shortstop eligibility is gone
for now but Desmond could gain it back depending on how things shake out in
free agency.The best move for Desmond
would be to return to Texas and keep himself in a prime hitter’s park but it
was very encouraging to see him go back to his old Washington roots with his
batting approach.Having reached the
20/20 mark in four of the last five years, Desmond is back to being a trusted
commodity.